Sir Bob Geldof has inspired gap-year student Frances Paterson to swap her life for one in Kenya.

Frances, 18, from Yeadon will spend four months in the capital Nairobi, working with an aid charity.

"I've seen all the campaigns and TV shows, and now I am excited to have the chance to be involved personally and do something hands on to help," said Frances.

The trip is part of the Transform scheme run by Tearfund, a Christian relief and development charity.

She will be working in St Johns community centre, in a slum called Pumwani, where dangers of unclean water and sanitation problems are regular.

She said: "I could never help but feel frustrated listening to the pleas from Bob Geldof and the Comic Relief campaigns about how little we can do to 'make poverty history'.

"Now I have the opportunity to put this into practice by going to help in some of the poorest areas of a developing country.

"I've heard that it will be a big culture shock, both when I get there and when I come back."

She will teach at the centre's kindergarten, high school, college and help at old people's homes.

"I'm going to do what I can and hopefully learn from the experience," she said.

The former Guiseley School A-Level student, of Banksfield Mount, aims to study for a drama degree when she returns to the UK.

"I plan to go to university, but I wouldn't rule out being a full-time aid worker in the future," she said.

An orientation week hosted by the charity in London warned of the dangers of disease and infections including AIDS in the region.

It also allowed her to meet the other six members of the all-female team of 18 to 21-year-olds going to Kenya.

She said: "The team are great, but I'm the only northerner. We did team bonding activities such as archery, which helped us get to know each other, so I'm not going on my own."

Frances found the opportunity on the internet and has support from her family, friends and fellow members at Otley New Life church.

She said: "It will be a personal experience and journey for me, to see what life is like over there. We live in a bubble in the West, where all our needs are only a supermarket away."

Her older brother David, 20, was involved with the charity when he went to Israel last year and also took part in the Live 8 march in Edinburgh.

"Rather than just giving them hand-outs, we will be aiming to help the people help themselves," added Frances.

Other Transform scheme projects will take place in Bolivia, Bangladesh and Thailand at the same time.

Last year Tearfund sent 23 Transform teams - 249 people altogether - to projects in developing countries throughout Africa, Asia and Central and South America.

l More information regarding Tearfund and its work is available at:

www.tearfund.org/transform or by calling 0845 355 8355.